Slytherin's Request
by GenEus2718
Summary: On a return visit to the Chamber of Secrets, the Golden Trio encounters representations of the Four Founders. After hearing what has happened to the magical world, Slytherin asks the Trio to right the wrongs his descendants and House members have committed. The Founders then give the Trio the means to carry out Salazar's request.
1. Harry's Idea

****Disclaimer** In this time stream, I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and the characters and all that stuff are hers. I make no money with this. My only hope is that somewhere, in some corner of the multiverse, exists a world in which I created said amazing idea. Maybe there's one for you, too.**

* * *

"I've got it!" Harry exclaimed suddenly while he, Hermione, and Ron were sitting in the Common Room one night.

"Got what, mate?" Ron asked curiously.

"A place where we might be able to practice Defensive Magic! A place where we can hide a bunch of students without Umbridge or other people knowing about it or finding it!"

"Well, let's have it!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly. "The sooner we get everything set up, the sooner we can start!"

Both his friends were looking at Harry excitedly, and Harry couldn't help but grin and pause for dramatic effect. It wasn't often that he had them both on the edge of their seats. Finally, when Hermione was starting to give him a look and Ron looked about ready to fall out of his chair, Harry continued. "It's simple, really. I don't know why I never thought of it before. A place big enough to hold many people and still have room for practice. A place we'll have access to, but one that teachers and other unwanted people won't. A place that's out of the way and won't draw attention if we're casting loud spells."

"Harry, JUST TELL US ALREADY!" Hermione exclaimed loudly, causing Ron rub one ear in pain.

"Just savoring the moment," Harry grinned. "The place I'm thinking of is pretty well known, especially to us. And I'm the only one that can get us in. The Chamber of Secrets."

Ron's and Hermione's smiles vanished and they looked uneasily between Harry and each other.

"Harry," Ron quietly ventured, "I've been in there, too, remember. It's...well...it's not a nice place."

"What if there's still Dark Magic or Dark Creatures in there?" Hermione asked. "After all, it was Slytherin's secret chamber. Who knows what evils could still be lurking?"

"I killed the basilisk, Hermione."

"I know," she continued, shuddering as she recalled the fearsome beast that had left her literally petrified Second Year, "but that doesn't mean there couldn't be more. What if there were traps or other curses to keep others from interfering?"

"Parselmouths are fairly uncommon, Hermione," Harry reminded his friend. "And," he added, "if I'm not mistaken, even if the trait wasn't exclusive to Dark Wizards throughout history, there weren't any muggle-borns with the ability. It was mostly passed on through old families."

"Sounds about right," Ron nodded. "If the occasional muggle-borns were found to be a Parselmouth or a Metamorphmagus, muggle-borns in general would probably be looked down upon a whole lot less by the so-called pureblood elite. "

"So, by that reasoning," Harry continued, "Slytherin wouldn't have felt threatened by anyone who could enter the chamber because they would be at least a half-blood, more than likely a pureblood from what respectable House. Which means no traps."

"I guess…" Hermione sighed. "But still, as Ron said, it's not really the nicest place."

"Not quite the right ambiance, with the bones, snake skin, and giant snake corpse." Ron agreed.

"That's why we're going to go down there," Harry explained. "The sooner the better. We can set up places to practice, clean up some of the more disturbing stuff, and move on from there."

"When do you plan on doing this, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Why not start now? Or at least check it out" Harry answered, standing up from his chair. "The sooner the better. Plus, at this time we won't be missed as easily."

Pulling out his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map, Harry briskly walked over to the portrait door. "Filch and Umbridge are nowhere near the bathroom, so we're all clear," he announced after glancing at the charmed parchment.

Ron sighed as he and Hermione got up from their comfortable seats to follow Harry. Knowing the state of the Chamber, Ron and Hermione convinced Harry that they should first change into some more perishable clothing. Things would probably be pretty dirty in there.

"Figures it has to be at night," Ron muttered as they gathered at the portrait once all three had changed. "And here I was hoping for a good night's sleep."

"Though maybe without your snoring the rest of your dorm mates will finally get one," Hermione countered. Ron would have countered with a witty retort of his own but, as is typical, he couldn't think of one before the moment was gone.

* * *

The trio quietly snuck into the bathroom under Harry's Cloak, which was becoming much too crowded for all three of them to fit under. Thankfully, no one had noticed them on the way in, and Moaning Myrtle wasn't around. After they had removed the Cloak and come to the entrance, Ron had a sudden thought.

"Harry, we know you can get in and anyone who speaks Parseltongue can get in also. But what about someone who can mimic the sound? I heard you speak to the sink back in Second Year, and I think I remember it well enough to replicate it. Could someone who's heard the correct words in Parseltongue, maybe Malfoy or someone who watches us enter, get in with that?"

"Oh. True enough, I hadn't thought of that. You could try it," Harry answered.

Nodding, Ron walked over to the sink and took a deep breath. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts and remember exactly how Harry had sounded, Ron attempted to mimic the noise. His first tries he seemed unhappy with, but on the fifth try he seemed quite satisfied. To Harry, though, it all sounded like a snake and a cat trapped in a washing machine in the back of a dune buggy. When the door didn't open, Ron looked relieved but also a bit disappointed.

"I know it didn't sound too great, but that's how you sound when you speak like that, Harry. I may have been a bit off, but not by much."

"Parseltongue is most likely a partially magical language, Ron," Hermione answered. "You can't just mimic it based on what it sounds like to us. There are probably sounds our ears can't detect, and Harry's voice could easily be layered with magic without us being aware of it. Only a Parselmouth can fluently speak it, though I suppose with years of training and study you could learn a word or two."

"How about no," Ron answered. "We'll leave that stuff to Harry. I just wanted to make sure."

Harry nodded. "Well, now we know. But let's just get in the Chamber now, if that's fine with you guys."

Hermione and Ron nodded, and Harry walked over to the sink marked with the snake. Just like before, he tried as best as he could to imagine that the little snake was real. Closing his eyes and focusing, Harry spoke.

" _ **ᔛOpen upᔛ"**_

The snake language was easier to use now than it had been before. Whether that was from Voldemort's return or just more Parseltongue usage Harry didn't know. Regardless, the sink began to sink to the floor once again, revealing the large pipe that led to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Ugh," Hermione remarked, looking at the pipe with clear distaste, "Was it this grimey before?"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "Um...yeah?" Ron answered.

"Hermione, it's big pipe in a bathroom that's been around for over a thousand years. What did you expect?"

"Well, I certainly don't want to slide down that," she huffed. "Isn't there another way in?"

Harry shrugged. "Not that I saw. Ron and I didn't ask too many questions the first time. We were in a bit of a hurry and Lockhart had us distracted."

"Well, there must be another way. I doubt Slytherin or Voldemort would have resorted to sliding down a gross pipe like this. Try asking for stairs."

"Asking for stairs?" Ron asked. "You think it would do that? Seems more like Harry just says a password to open the chamber, not talk to some intelligent being."

"Just try it," Hermione sighed. "We let you try your ugly hissing noises."

Before Ron could retort, Harry walked up to the edge of the pipe.

" _ **ᔛGive us stairsᔛ"**_

When nothing happened, Ron grinned triumphantly, though inwardly he had been hoping they wouldn't have to slide down the pipe again. His butt had been sore even weeks later.

Hermione sighed, walking over to peer into the pipe. "I guess I've got no choice," she lamented. "Though we should check and make sure there aren't any obstacles. _Lumos_!"

Hermione's wand tip immediately glowed, and she pointed it down the hole. Much to the trio's surprise, there was a small staircase on the edge of the pipe that spiraled downward and along the pope's wall. There hadn't been any noise to suggest it had come when Harry requested stairs, so it must have been there the whole time.

Hermione grinned triumphantly and took a tentative step onto the stairs. When they didn't explode or break away, she continued, with Harry close behind and Ron bringing up the rear. Harry grinned as he heard Ron muttering things like 'time frame,' 'rushed,' and 'Lockhart.'

They were surprised yet again when, after all three were on the stairs, the steps began to slowly descend.

"Harry, it's like an escalator!" Hermione exclaimed. "But it has to over a thousand years old! Amazing! The Founders really were witches and wizards ahead of their time"

Ron frowned. "What's an excavator?"

"No, Ron," Hermione corrected, "escalator. An excavator is a machine the size of a giant that Muggles use to dig large areas with more efficiency. An escalator is just like this: a staircase that moves up or down so you don't need to walk."

Ron's eyes widened in amazement. "Muggles have that stuff! That's sweet! And a little scary. Wonder what people like the Malfoys would do if they found out Muggles have that kind of power!"

Harry and Hermione glanced nervously at each other.

"Um, yeah! Wouldn't want the Malfoys promoting even more anti-Muggle prejudice and fear because of the Muggles', um, supreme weapon, the excavator. Let's...uh...keep this hushed up."

Ron nodded, though wasn't exactly sure what had his friends acting so strangely. Probably nerves upon entering the chamber. "Fair enough."

Even with the moving stairs (or, as Ron called them, 'eskalaters'), it still took a while to reach the Chamber. It was, after all, quite far below the ground.

"The first thing we'll want to do," Hermione announced after lighting a few torches, "is to clear up this passageway." The steps had taken them to the original corridor where Lockhart had suffered a sudden case of memory loss. The floor was still littered with bones of small animals, which was both gross and a little unnerving. The section that had caved in due to Ron's wand exploding had been partially cleared due to both time and Ron's efforts while Harry was fighting the memory of a younger Tom Riddle. However, the main entrance was still partially blocked, and the fallen rocks didn't make the chamber look any more comforting.

Thankfully, this time everyone present had a fully functional wand and a few more years of magical education under his or her belt. Within a quarter of an hour, the bones were gone, the rocks had been shifted to the side or Vanished, and torches had been lit to to shed some more light into the eerie room.

The one thing they had left alone was the giant snake skin. No one dared touch it, for fear of poison residue or anything else harmful, and the skin itself seemed to resist spells cast upon it. Deciding that it was better to just leave it alone, the trio decided to move on to the main part of the chamber.

As they neared the door with the intertwined snakes, Harry warned his two friends. "When we get into the chamber, you'll probably see the basilisk. Neither of you two have truly seen it before, so just try and remember that it's dead. Ready?"

They both nodded, and Harry commanded the door to open. The snakes unwound, and the wall opened to reveal the long chamber.

As they entered, Harry examined the long chamber that he'd nearly died in. During his first visit there hadn't been much time to admire the architecture, which was actually quite stunning if one could get over the looming creepiness.

The big stone pillars carved with snakes were magnificent to look at, rising up to support a ceiling lost in darkness. Knowing how long ago that these had been made, it was really a testament to their amazing craftsmanship that they still stood at all. Beyond the corpse of the King Snake, he could see the enormous statue of Slytherin himself. In Harry's opinion, Slytherin hadn't been the most attractive of men. He almost looked like a cave man or a monkey. If Harry ever decided to have a statue made in his honor, he decided that he'd make sure it looked good, even if it slightly differed from reality a bit. In a hundred years, no one would know that anyway. They'd just marvel at the handsome bloke Harry Potter had been.

When Ron and Hermione followed Harry in, Ron gasped in surprise and Hermione let out a shriek. After their brief moment of shock, they managed to calm down. They continued, though, to stare at the fallen beast with a mixture of fear and amazement.

"Hard to believe you killed that thing in second year," Ron remarked.

"I had quite a bit of luck and help," Harry answered. "Without the hat and the sword, Fawkes taking out its eyes and then healing me, and Riddle being distracted by Ginny, I wouldn't have had a chance."

"I'll never decide whether you have the best luck in the world or the worst," Hermione added. Harry had to admit there was some truth to that.

When they neared the corpse, Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "There's barely any rotting at all. This thing looks like it could have been killed yesterday. That's amazing!"

"I think remember Charlie saying once that ancient, highly magical creatures are both resistant to magic and infused with it, giving them even more protection" Ron remarked. "Maybe things like basilisks and dragons don't rot fast since they live so long and are full of magic? The Chamber probably helped preserve it too, keeping a lot of creatures from getting to it."

Hermione bit her bottom lip, thinking. "Could be. It sort of makes me wonder how much something like this would be worth."

"Hermione, I don't need the money," Harry began to protest, but she wouldn't hear it.

"There's no sense letting this go to waste, Harry," Hermione argued. "It's been a long time since a basilisk was killed or even found in magical Britain. A basilisk this old and this large could easily be the the largest recovered in centuries. Maybe ever. According to ancient magical law, the slayer of a magical beast has sole claim to the spoils. You're the one who killed it."

"But I don't _want_ the money!" Harry exclaimed.

"Just because you don't want the money doesn't mean you can't use the money for better purposes," Ron explained. "But we're not going to let this thing rot away when it could be practically a gold mine. Give the money away if you want, but money isn't something to waste or dismiss out of hand even if you have enough as it is. Believe me, I know."

"Ron, I'm sorry," Harry quickly answered, "I forgot about your family and money. If you want it…"

"Harry, whether it's profitable or not, we should remove this thing anyway," Hermione interrupted. "I'm sure we could find people who would be more than willing to clear it away and make use of the corpse. And it's not just about money, though I agree wholeheartedly with Ron that it shouldn't be wasted. Basilisk hide could probably be used to make armor or other protective things. Any preserved fluids or organs would be rare and powerful potions ingredients. Money isn't the only thing we can get from it."

"Fine," Harry sighed, giving in, "but I'm still finding a use for any money it brings in. I'm not going to just let it sit in my Vault for years and years."

"That's as it should be," Ron answered, glad that Harry was coming to his senses. "We should look around a bit more. Maybe there's more stuff around. Not another snake or anything, but there could be more skin like we saw before we came in."

They decided to stay as a group, carefully inspecting the large chamber for signs of anything that had been missed, good or bad, the first time Harry had been in the Chamber of Secrets. As they went, Hermione did her best to light any torches in order to provide more light. She also taught Harry and Ron some cleaning charms that could hopefully diminish the slime and grime levels at least a little bit.

As they explored, it soon became obvious that no one had been in the chamber for a long, long time. Tom Riddle's original adventure probably began and ended with walking in, summoning the basilisk, and leaving to go kill things. The chamber was mostly bare, except for the slime, mold, and cobwebs that the three worked to make at least a dent in. They found a few old books, but time and the damp condition of the chamber had pretty much destroyed them. Hermione had almost been in tears when she realized that they'd found thousand-year-old books, but she couldn't read them.

As they neared the end of the chamber, Ron pointed at the Salazar statue's open mouth. "Isn't that where the basilisk came from?" he asked. When Harry nodded, he cautiously walked over toward it. "I think I'll pop in and see if there's anything good. Maybe there's more snake skin. Or maybe old Snake-lips left some secret chamber in here."

"A secret chamber within a secret chamber?" Hermione asked skeptically. "What would be the point?"

"Who knows? The old guy was batty, we know that much from all this." Ron neared the edge of the mouth and prepared to hop in. "Here's to not dying," the redhead muttered before blindly jumping inside.

Moments later they heard a loud scream. Rushing over as close as they dared, Harry and Hermione held their wands up high, ready for the worst.

"What is it, Ron?"

"It's not another monster is it?"

"Are you hurt?"

"What's wrong?"

"I LANDED IN A PILE OF SNAKE DUNG!" Came the reply, causing Harry and Hermione to glance meaningfully at each other before lowering their wands with a collective sigh.

"AND THERE'S A FREAKING SPIDER THE SIZE OF MY HAND! AND ANOTHER!"

Hermione expression turned worrisome once again. "Ron, that could be a venomous breed. You need to calm down and remain still. You probably just startled it. Most animals won't bother you if you don't-"

" _REDUCTO_! _REDUCTO_! TAKE THAT, BITCHES! _REDUCTO_!"

"Or you could just blast them all to Oblivion," Hermione muttered. "Why listen to me?"

"That's good that there's spiders, though," Harry remarked. "That means that we won't be having any more snake problems."  
"Ron doesn't appear to think so," Hermione giggled, though she stopped quickly when the noticed him climbing out of the mouth-shaped hole.

"Nothing much in there," he remarked. "Few shreds of skin, and some awful smelling dung, but no secret chambers or anything."

"Don't forget the the freaking spider the size of your hand," Harry cheerfully added.

Ron shuddered. "Don't remind me."

"You know, I wasn't planning on saying 'I told you so...'" Hermione began as cheerfully as Harry.

"Then don't."

"Well, I just did, so now I don't need to." Hermione triumphantly replied, causing Ron's frown to deepen.

"Hey, I was just checking, you know. I didn't see you volunteering to go into any...HEY! What's that?"

"Honestly, Ronald, what part of 'there's no secret chamber within a secret chamber' do you not-"

"Wait," Harry interrupted. "I think that might actually be something." That effectively shut them both up.

"It looks like writing…" he mused, squinting, "but it's hard to make out. It's all...squirmy."

"Harry, there's nothing there."

"Just some weird scratches in the wall like some bloke went insane."

" _ **ᔛSpeak my name and behold my legacyᔛ"**_

"Harry," Hermione whispered, sounding afraid, "you just spoke again in Parseltongue."

"Those are words, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. "They must be written Parseltongue."

"What did they say?" she asked nervously.

"Speak my name and behold my legacy," Harry answered, being sure to speak in English this time.

"Well, go on then. Not sure I wanna find out Slytherin's legacy, but we've come this far. We don't want anything dangerous just lying around in here." Ron answered.

"Salazar Slytherin!" Harry loudly announced. Nothing happened.

"Try saying it in...you know…"

"Right. Got it. _**ᔛSalazar Slytherin!ᔛ**_ "

Just like the door with the intertwined serpents, the wall parted, opening up a large doorway just asking to be entered.

* * *

 **/:Note:/ Ever have it where you wake up and this weird idea pops into your head? And throughout the day your mind keeps adding to it until you're like 'Holy crap I have to write this down'? Well, that's the origin of this story right here. It wouldn't get out of my head until I wrote it down. I'll probably write until the full into/idea/brainstorm is out, and then if people like it I'll keep going. For those of you wondering about my other story,** _ **Magical Repopulation,**_ **let's just say that my computer decided it was hungry and I didn't feel like completely rewriting a chapter or two as of now. There will probably be a bit of delay on that, especially as I get this story out of my head. Sorry about that. Anyway, if you like this story feel free to let me know. I love getting reviews and PMs, so don't hesitate to voice your thoughts, good or bad. I have a pretty good idea about where this is all going, but I'll still listen to any suggestions you guys have. That's it. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!**


	2. Living History

Harry, Hermione, and Ron cautiously peered through the open doorway.

"Am I correct in assuming you never noticed this place before, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Yup." Harry answered, scanning the room for potential dangers. Seeing nothing that looked dangerous, he tentatively stepped inside. When nothing happened to his exposed foot, he continued inside, gesturing for Ron and Hermione to follow.

The room they were in was much smaller than the main chamber, and its appearance was nothing like the dreary, disturbing architecture Harry had seen before. Instead, this looked like a mix between the common rooms of Slytherin and Gryffindor, both in style and size. The room was clad in green and silver, with walls and furnishings of stone, but the chairs had the same comfortable style as those in the Gryffindor Common room. An old fireplace could even be seen in the corner. Unlike the rest of the Chamber of Secrets, this room was not only well-preserved but also appeared to be quite clean.

In the corner of the room, near the fireplace, sat a desk covered in quills and notebooks that appeared to be written in Parseltongue. Intrigued, Harry walked over to it. Nearing the desk, Harry had just picked up what appeared to be a spellbook of original spells when he heard a voice.

"Well, it's about time!"

Harry almost jumped into the air in surprise. Ron and Hermione had also turned, faces white, at the sound of the unknown voice. It wasn't one any of them recognized, though, which thankfully ruled out Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Who...who are you?"

"Ah. Yes. Sorry about that, forgot. I'm behind the desk, near the right-hand side. My picture slid down the wall and behind the desk at some point. That's what I get for not having a Permanent Sticking Charm placed. I could just see the door open and hear you when you came in."

Inspecting the area the voice had referenced, Harry came face to face with a golden-framed portrait of a middle-aged man with short, dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Harry picked up the portrait, dusted it off a little, and set it up on the desk.

"Who are you?"

Hermione gasped. "Harry, of course! Who else would it be? This is-"

"Salazar Slytherin at your service!" The portrait smiled brightly at the three students, who were wide-eyed and somewhat pale. "What? What's wrong?"

"You're...Slytherin?" Ron asked, aghast.

"Well...as I just declared myself Salazar Slytherin, then yes, you would think so, wouldn't you?" the portrait answered, confused about where this was going.

"You don't look evil," Ron blurted out before quickly covering his mouth in fright.

"Don't look evil...why would I...what?" The portrait seemed utterly confused at that.

Harry butted in, hastily trying to steer the conversation another way. "We're just...a bit surprised that you don't look like your statue in the main part of the chamber."

"Oh…that." Slytherin sighed as if he know understood what this was about and rolled his eyes, exasperated. "I've never been too proud of that statue, to be honest. I don't think they captured my likeness well at all. I was going for the 'Regal Lord' and 'Distinguished Founder' look, but somehow the statue ended up making me seem monkey-like. Just goes to show, I guess, if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. I never should have hired that job out."

"But...how can you know about that?" Hermione asked. "Obviously this portrait was made when you were younger."

"Well, I certainly didn't want to be in my old, wrinkled body for so important a portrait, now did I? I just used a younger representation of myself, still keeping old memories intact."

"I didn't know that was possible," Ron muttered.

"Well, clearly no one ever told me, not that that would have stopped me," Slytherin retorted.

Ron shrugged. "Why'd you even put the portrait here anyway?"

Slytherin smiled, as if they had finally gotten to the area of conversation he had been hoping for. "Well, you see, I wanted to get to you first!"

"Who else would be...um...getting to us?" Harry asked nervously.

"That would be...hold on one moment. I need to go find them and give them a heads up first." With that, Slytherin quickly moved out of his portrait, leaving the trio to stare at each other in disbelief.

"That just happened, right?" Harry asked.

"We met Salazar bloody Slytherin," Ron confirmed, in awe, "and the bloke actually seemed like a decent guy."

"Just checking," Harry sighed.

"You're going to need to translate those books for us, Harry," Hermione pointed out, gesturing to the desk. Glancing at Ron's skeptic expression, she amended, "Translate them for me, I mean."

"Oh...um...wow." Harry looked worriedly at the very large stack of books and journals on and inside the desk. Thankfully, before he could come up with what was sure to be a poor excuse, Slytherin returned.

"Right. My apologies, but it's been quite a while since this was needed. You simply need to tap your wand against the space above the fireplace and the main portrait should appear. We didn't want to risk anything happening to that one, so it's in its own vault right now. Oh, while you're at it you might want to light the fireplace. It gets a bit chilly in here at times, and this isn't the most well-lit of chambers."

Harry quickly walked over to the fireplace, waiting for Hermione to light it before he continued. It wouldn't do to get in the way just as she fired her spell. With the newly lit fire crackling, Harry reached up and tapped the wall.

As soon as Harry's wand left the stone, a large portion of the wall rotated, revealing a large portrait with four comfy-looking chairs on the sides. Harry saw that three of the chairs were occupied, and the figures seemed to be speaking with each other.

"I still think he's pulling our legs!"

"What would he have to gain? He's the one who put portrait up here and had it sealed in the vault, which was clearly a good idea since we've never come across danger."

"It could be like the time he told us that I had to wear Helga's dress to prevent a time paradox."

"Well, Godric, only you would be gullible enough to fall for that. A time paradox? Come on. As if a man wearing women's clothing could somehow prevent an anomaly in the time stream."

"He's really good at keeping a straight face! Helga believed him, didn't you?"

"As Rowena said, only you would fall for that. There's a difference between loyalty and just not thinking."

"And we all know that thinking has gotten us out of more than one problem, I might add."

"Wait! Something's different! Look!"

The red-haired lady had turned to look outside the portrait for the first time. Obviously she had noticed Ron, Harry, and Hermione standing with their mouths wide open in shock. The other figures, a powerfully-built, red-bearded man and a slim, raven-haired lady, eventually turned away from each other and looked as well.

Slytherin broke the stunned silence, chuckling loudly. "I told you! I warned you. 'Hey,' I said, 'I think we're finally getting visitors, so try and look impressive!' And of course, we get this! Brilliant! After all this time, oh, this was perfect!"

"Well," huffed the red-haired lady who was clearly Helga Hufflepuff, "I think it should be noted that you haven't been completely honest with us in the past."

"It was one joke!" Slytherin objected. "I was bored! I didn't think he'd actually buy it!"

"Anyway, dears," continued Hufflepuff, "it's wonderful to see you! I can't begin to tell you how long it's felt."

"I would hope that, assuming you are indeed students of this school, you know who we are," the slim raven-haired lady added, "but just in case there is any confusion, I am Rowena Ravenclaw, the other woman is Helga Hufflepuff, and this bearded brute is Godric Gryffindor. I'm sure you've already met Salazar," she added, gesturing to a smugly grinning Slytherin's portrait.

"It's been a while, so our names might be a bit out of style," Gryffindor added. "So you might want to shorten them up. That there is Sally, there's Hell, and that is Row," he gestured to Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw respectively. All three rolled their eyes, clearly having heard this multiple times.

Having saved himself for last, Gryffindor proudly straightened before announcing, "You can call me 'God!'"

"While I'm sure they'd love to," Ravenclaw replied dryly, "it might be easier if they just referred to us by our last names. They're more well known anyway, and the students will be used to saying them since I'm assuming our names have remained the names of the Houses."

"Now, you all seem like good, loyal friends," Hufflepuff pointed out. "You're all in my House, aren't you?"

"No, Helga, they had to be very clever to find the chamber. At least one of you is in Ravenclaw, yes?"

"Nonsense! The chamber's about the ugliest place you could imagine! Filled with all kinds of creepy crawlies and dirt and grime. Only a student of Gryffindor could muster up the courage to go in!"

"You're all forgetting one important detail," Slytherin smirked. "This Chamber was originally built by me, to be opened by the Heir of Slytherin! You have to be a Parselmouth to get in! So it's obviously my House that they're from! Or at least one of them, that is!"

"Actually," Harry tentatively mentioned, "we're all from Gryffindor."

"BOO YAA!" Gryffindor's loud voice boomed throughout the chamber. The other three founders were dumbstruck.

"Their loyalty, though…" Hufflepuff murmured.

"What about their intelligence?" Ravenclaw moaned.

"The Heir of Slytherin is in Godric's house?!" Slytherin cried, head in his hands.

"My grandmother Dorea was a Black, so maybe there's some sort of descendance there" Harry ventured. Slytherin sighed, complaining that it was still an affront to his legacy.

"Umm, Founders? Can I ask a question?" Hermione asked.

"Certainly!" Ravenclaw answered, visibly brightening. "Ask away. You know, wit beyond measure is-"

"Is really annoying when you remind us of it every other moment." Gryffindor finished. "Let's just hear the question before you give a lecture on magical quantum logistics or some other mumbo jumbo."

Hermione looked slightly disappointed about missing such a lecture, but she pressed on. "We came down here originally to find out if the Chamber would be safe for other students. You see, um, wait, do you know what the Ministry of Magic is?"

"No, but let me guess. A bunch of dull, petty politicians only in it for themselves?" Gryffindor asked.

Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw exchanged glances before Hufflepuff answered, "As much as it pains me to say it, I believe Godric summed it up quite well."

"Well, I guess some things never change," Ron sighed.

"Speaking of change," Slytherin remarked, "I'm curious. How long has it been since we were alive. It feels like it's been quite a while to us, but I imagine time feels somewhat different as portraits in a room like this." The others nodded, also curious.

"You guys are like, over a thousand years old," Ron answered.

All four Founders looked completely shocked. Then Gryffindor let out a low whistle. "Dang, Salazar. I had my doubts when you guys came up with this whole scheme, but you were right. A thousand years! Who would've thought it?"

"I can only imagine what new discoveries have been made," Ravenclaw mused happily.

"Please tell me these rags aren't the new fashion," Hufflepuff groaned, gesturing to the trio's attire. "It seems every generation has some stupid new fad. And after a thousand years, I'm sure there have been plenty of fads. You don't even have House badges!"

"These? These are just some old Muggle clothes. We didn't want to get our robes all dirty." Harry answered dismissively. He paused and looked up, though, when all four Founders were again staring at the trio in shock.

"Muggles? You're wearing Muggle clothes?" Ravenclaw exclaimed.

"How'd you get your hands on rags like them? What'd you do, steal them from the nearest village?" Gryffindor asked.

"The teachers allow this sort of rebellion? What do your parents think?" Hufflepuff cried.

"Wait, hold on!" Hermione nearly shouted. "We know from history records that Slytherin was a biased man who hated Muggle-borns at Hogwarts, but the rest of you? Really?"

"Hold on now! Biased? Are you kidding?" Slytherin exclaimed, offended. "I might have been considered a bit extreme in my level of precautions and protections, I'll admit, but I'm by no means the villain here if that's what's taught nowadays."

"But isn't that why you left the school?" Ron asked. "Because you didn't like how the others were letting Muggle-borns into Hogwarts?" Harry and Hermione nodded, showing their agreement.

"I left mostly for other, more personal reasons than that," Slytherin answered, "but yes, I was unhappy with the others for some time before I returned-"

"Returned?" interrupted Harry. "You came back?"

"Of course," Slytherin answered. "You don't think I'd abandon one of the largest and most important projects of my life, do you? Once tempers had settled a bit and my business elsewhere was done, I quietly returned. That was when this room was built within the Chamber of Secrets."

"But all the other Founders were said to have welcomed in Muggle-born students!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Technically, we allowed them entry if they were good enough," Ravenclaw answered. "And, let's face it, how many Muggles do you know who would stand a chance of making it into my House?"

"Or that would be able to put off their lazy and violent tendencies enough to show the loyalty and hard-working attitude my House requires?" Hufflepuff added.

"And you can cross Gryffindor off the potential list, too!" Gryffindor added. "None of us really wanted those people in our school, but we eventually decided that those who could pass as tolerable in our society should be allowed entry. Salazar was the only one who wouldn't agree. He told us that we were making a mistake. Either we were being too judgmental and Muggles would form coalitions against us due to dismissal, or we were being too easy on the Muggle-borns and letting too many dangers into the school. Either way, he told us we were dooming magical society and wanted no part of it."

Slytherin shrugged. "That's how it seemed at the time. Later, I realized that without my help things would just get worse and worse. If I had to compromise, so be it, but at least the school would be a bit safer. Of course, there was also the idea going around that if you could separate magical children from their Muggle parents, then without such influence they would be relatively-"

"What is wrong with all you people?" Hermione looked nearly ready to explode. "You're just like those horrible people we already have running things! To think that you were my role models, the most brilliant of your time! And now you're just as prejudiced as everyone else."

Gryffindor's eyes narrowed. "Prejudiced? Clearly you've never had Muggles try to burn you at the stake."

"Or dismiss all your words simply because you were different in their eyes," Ravenclaw added.

"Any chances of friendship or camaraderie were not spoiled because of the magical side's actions. I don't know why a witch like yourself would care one way or the other about them," Hufflepuff added. Hermione opened her mouth to continue.

"ENOUGH!" Harry shouted, tired of this seemingly endless debate. "Salazar, Godric, Rowena, and Helga, just stop and listen for a second! Clearly things were much different in your time then they are for us right now. Let me try to bring you up to speed a bit on the world as we know it. I am a half-blood. My father, James Potter, married an intelligent, fun-loving, mischievous Muggle-born witch. I was raised by my uncle and aunt, who are Muggles. While I'm sure they follow your understanding of Muggles almost perfectly, they by no means represent most. Right now, Muggles know nothing of our society. The only ones that know about us either will become witches and wizards or are the parents of these children. Hermione is one of these. As you can see, she's perfectly normal, even better than normal in my opinion, and she takes huge offense when people insult Muggles, as they are insulting her and her family. In our society right now, Muggles are actually far more advanced than the magical world in many social and scientific aspects, and the ones who attack or disregard Muggles are powerful, political families of old and Dark Wizards, some of whom persecute and torture Muggles for sport."

Harry hadn't expected to vent for so long, but what he said seemed to have done the trick. All four Founders looked quite embarrassed.

"You have our apologies, Miss," Gryffindor finally answered, "my fellow Founders and I speak of the world we knew. Clearly that world, as we should have guessed, hardly exists anymore except in history books. Please forgive our words."

Hermione nodded, a small tear glistening down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away when she realized its existence.

"What Hermione was trying to say before we got far off topic, regarding the chamber," Harry continued, hoping to move things away from the touchy subject, "is that we were wondering if it is safe for students to practice magic in. One of our teachers was forced upon us by the Ministry of Magic, which is meddling with Hogwarts business due to current political fears. We want to learn the defensive magic that they won't teach us, and to help teach and prepare our fellow students, but we need a place to safely do that where no one will interfere. Your Chamber of Secrets, Slytherin, is certainly large enough and discreet enough. However, due to the evil once in here we were unsure if students, especially Muggle-borns, would be safe."

"I had built his chamber to protect young witches and wizards from Muggles," Slytherin answered, "if ever a large scale attack or war occured or if Muggle-born students attempted to bring down our society from within. If what you have said about such students now is true, I am sure there is no need to worry."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron exchanged excited glances. They had finally found a place to train and teach! However, Slytherin's next words soon wiped the excited grins from their faces.

"The evil you speak of alarms me though. I would have thought Themistocles could easily remove any threats."

"Themisistoca...who?" Ron asked, quite befuzzled.

"Oh, that's just Salazar's pet snakey," Gryffindor answered. "Fun little guy, though he's probably not very little by now. Always used to pretend his second eyelids were up. Lots of great practical jokes there." He smiled, remembering times past.

"How is he faring, by the way?" Slytherin asked. "I would assume, as a Parselmouth, you had a decent chat with him. I worry about him getting bored in here."

Harry gulped. "Umm...are you talking about the giant basilisk that was killing students? The one that almost killed me, before I killed it with Gryffindor's sword?"

"What?" Slytherin cried. "What on earth would bring that up? I'll assume you and the other students weren't attempting to overthrow the school or kill each other, so I can't fathom what would lead Themistocles to do that! As much as it pains me to say it, it's probably a good thing that you stopped him." Slytherin looked visibly shaken, distraught due to the loss of his pet and unsure why his pet would behave in so horrible a manner.

"You say you used my sword to...end the problems? What sword was this?" Gryffindor asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "It's probably one of the best in existence. Goblin-made, with jewels on the hilt. I pulled it out of the Sorting Hat."

"So that's where I put it," Gryffindor mumbled. "I spent weeks searching for that."

"As interesting as all these conversations have been," Ravenclaw announced, standing up from her chair, "I fear it could take weeks for us to be brought up to speed. Likely even longer if we continue to interrupt and get off topic."

"That's for sure," Hufflepuff agreed.

"In order for us to know what needs to be done and how we can help, I think we need to see first hand what has happened for ourselves," Ravenclaw continued. "Or rather, as first hand as possible. If the three of you agree, I bid you step closer and each place a hand on this portrait. Salazar, if you want to learn also you would do well to return here."

"What are you planning to do?" Hermione asked as Slytherin entered the main portrait and sat down in the empty chair.

"We wish to temporarily connect with your minds, viewing your memories and learning as best we can of your circumstances. The news of Muggle torture and the turning of Themistocles causes us to worry."

"You'll have nothing to fear," Hufflepuff added. "The process is painless and requires only a moment of time. The only memories we will view are those that directly relate to what has happened since we lived and what has caused these worrisome events."

"There's no way you should be able to do that!" Ron exclaimed. "Portraits can't do that. And you guys seem way too self-aware and intelligent for mere portraits. What are you? Is this some magic that was lost in time?"

Slytherin's brow furrowed. "If you have not heard of it or its effects, I think it is indeed safe to assume the magic at place was lost with time. We are not mere representations of the Four Founders, if that is what you assumed. No, we are living memories stored within the painting. One of the reasons I returned was to use this magic, which I had recently discovered and refined. We can see, hear, and think as clearly as when we were alive. We are able to sometimes affect our surroundings, particularly other humans. We are, to shamelessly use the term I invented, horcruxes."

* * *

 **/:Note:/ DUN DUN DUNNNNN! I bet that surprised a lot of you. Sorry if this chapter was a bit boring, but I wanted to give plenty of time to the Founders. It's a lot of fun writing them, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading. I'll try and make the next chapter a little more action-filled if I can. Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Later!**


	3. New Connections

"H-h-horcruxes?" Hermione stammered. "Aren't those...I don't know...bad?"

Slytherin frowned. "I guess I really wouldn't know a whole lot about them now, but we seem to be fine, don't you think? I'll admit that I wasn't completely sure of the processes at first, but everything seems to have turned out alright. Why? What do you know about horcruxes?"

"I-I was bored one day while we were staying at Grimmauld Place," Hermione explained. "The ancestral home of the Black family, a very old and typically Darker family," she added to help the Founders. "As I said, I was bored, so I decided to look in the Black Library. I was just skimming through, but before long I came upon a section of books that looked absolutely ghastly. They covered the most hideous Dark subjects, and soon I couldn't stand it any longer and left. But I specifically remember one book that stood out to me. It looked like the worst of the bunch, and its title said it was all about things called Horcruxes!"

Ron and Harry stared worriedly at Hermione, having never heard this particular story before. For Hermione to abandon a set of unread books was almost unheard of. That she had meant those books must have been extremely horrific. The portraits looked equally startled, and while they didn't know Hermione, that horcruxes were described in such a book was still very surprising.

"I can assure you," Ravenclaw responded, "that our methods and procedures were performed with the utmost care and without any ethical or moral ambiguities. It was actually a relatively simple process. We copied and stored our memories within the painting and left imprints of ourselves, almost like a more sophisticated way of making one's self a ghost. However, I only know of this adaptation of the magic. Salazar, is there any way this could be true, and that this is Dark Magic?"

"Well," Slytherin answered, "I most certainly agree with you that this particular form of horcrux is nothing bad. However, I'm not as sure about the general type of magic it uses and other potential forms that could come with it. My horcruxes are, essentially, a form of soul magic and soul bonding. As you know, at least I hope you know, people can form bonds with each other and other sentient creatures with the right magic. I dabbled in attempting to connect the soul with something inanimate that would protect the bond for many lifetimes."

"So this is a form of immortality?" Harry asked, mental gears turning.

"Not quite that," Slytherin explained, "More like...I'm not sure how to put it...a copy. A representation. I am not the Salazar Slytherin that lived and breathed on this Earth. He has moved on to the next great adventure, as have the other founders. We here are representations of them, with all their memories within us and thinking and acting as they would. We were put here to give aid and advice if students here in the Chamber of Secrets should ever need are higher than mere portraits, but we are not truly alive, so to speak."

"But would immortality be possible?" Ron asked, understanding where Harry was going. If this was what it sounded like, they might finally know how Voldemort had worked to escape death. However, if that was the case, they were going to have a much harder task than any had anticipated.

"I suppose," Slytherin mused, glancing at Ravenclaw, "that under the right circumstances, one might be able-"

"But you couldn't achieve that with mere connection, Salazar," Ravenclaw interrupted, "To retain true life and immortality, able to actually return to life or remain alive, the soul would have to be split entirely, not just imprinted, so that the transition of one soul part to the next life does not take the entire being with it."

"Is that even possible, though?" Slytherin responded. "The soul is not some physical object like a cloak or a piece of parchment. You cannot simply take hold of it and split it into two."

"But to leave a part of one's self behind? Remember, magic is most likely understood differently now than it was in our time. We don't know what has been discovered or what people are capable of."

"Anyway," Gryffindor interrupted, disrupting the theorizing and pondering of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, "you can theorize all you want on the magic's implications in this time, but the heart of the matter, as you mentioned, Rowena, is that we need more information before any action can take place. And for that, we need the help of the students to see what has happened." The others nodded, and Salazar turned to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"When these portraits were created, the idea of a horcrux was not an evil one," Salazar explained. "In your time, that may no longer be the case. We ask that you trust us when we say that we mean you no harm and that these actions will bring you no harm. If you agree to trust us, please place your hands on the portrait and open your minds."

Glancing only briefly at each other, Harry and the others stepped forward to place their hands upon the portrait.

"Wait," Ron asked, "how do I...uh...open my mind?"

"Clear it of worries and thoughts," Hufflepuff answered, "be calm and let your mind go blank."

"Shouldn't be too hard for you, Ron," Hermione joked, earning a glare from the redhead.

The trio pressed their hands against the portrait at the same moment. Once their hands made contact, they felt an odd tingling sensation travel up through their bodies toward their heads. Harry heard Ron let out a loud gulp before everything went dark.

Suddenly, pictures and faces began rushing through Harry's vision at a breakneck pace. He caught glimpses of Sirius, his parents, Dumbledore, and his friends. The visions paused for a moment and Harry found himself back in Number Four Privet Drive. The feeling was similar to being in a Pensieve.

"This is where you grew up?" Hufflepuff's voice rang in Harry's mind. "How terrible!" A younger Uncle Vernon walked right through Harry, coming to stop at the cupboard door beneath the stairs. He quickly began rapping on it, calling for Harry to get his lazy arse outside and make breakfast.

"You've never...um...returned to give them a bit of...repayment for their kindness, have you?" Gryffindor's disembodied voice inquired.

"I've gone there every summer," Harry replied, "But no, nothing like that. The Ministry of Magic would have my head."

"Oh. Yes, yes, them. Should have known," Gryffindor muttered, sounding quite disappointed.

Suddenly images of First Year flashed by in Harry's mind. The scene changed, and Harry was standing near the Mirror of Erised watching Quirrell unwrap the turban.

"This is man you spoke of, one who tortures Muggles for sport, yes?" Ravenclaw's voice rang through Harry's mind, and he confirmed her speculation.

Soon they came to Harry's first visit in the Chamber of Secrets. Salazar seemed awfully upset, but insisted on viewing the memory so he could better understand what had happend. Harry could tell he was getting much more information out of the memory than Harry would have gotten or could have told him. "It couldn't simply have been Parseltongue that let him do this," Salazar had mused. "Just because you speak the language doesn't mean the snake will obey, Themistocles would have been quite powerful and intelligent by this time, capable of seeing through most attempts at manipulation. He certainly wouldn't have done those things by his own free will."

They continued going through memories, year by year. It was an odd experience for Harry, and sometimes quite frightening. A lot of moments they focused on, such as Voldemort's revival, were memories he had never wanted to relive. The Founders had stopped asking questions and instead focused on Harry's memories, which could tell a lot more than Harry himself.

After viewing all related memories up to the current ones, Harry was brought back to the night his parents died. It was just an image he was seeing (thankfully not a memory), but it was still disturbing. A dark, cloaked figure who was obviously Voldemort was looming over him.

"It all comes down to this man, this thing, doesn't it?" Slytherin asked.

"Yes," Harry answered. "He's the leader. Maybe not the one who started it all, but certainly the one who brought the terrors back out of hiding."

"I feared as much," Slytherin responded. "We are finished viewing your memories. I must warn you that the process of returning back may feel a little...unsettling."

Suddenly, the image disappeared, and all Harry saw was pure darkness. He couldn't feel his body at all, but he felt like he was falling nonetheless. Light slowly appeared, like the end of a distant tunnel, and Harry attempted to brace himself.

Harry's mind snapped back into reality, instantly restoring his senses. Startled, Harry lost his balance and stumbled backward. Taking a moment to readjust to his surroundings, Harry noticed that both Ron and Hermione looked rather disheveled also. Turning to look at the portrait, Harry could see the Four Founders conversing quietly with one another. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, but their expressions told him that the conversation was both serious and worrisome. He turned back to Hermione and Ron.

"Did they...with you...see your memories flash by?" They both nodded.

Ron added, "The feeling at the end...it was so scary I almost screamed. I'm hoping they have what they need because I don't want to go through that again!" The redhead shuddered, trying not to think about the darkness and feelings of falling.

"Do you think they found out what they needed to know?" Hermione quietly asked.

Harry nodded. "I think so. I bet now they're just trying to decide what to do about it."

After about fifteen minutes of discussion, the Founders returned their attention to the students. "Everything is much clearer to us now after viewing your memories," Slytherin declared. "And even if we dislike our conclusions, we now know what has happened and what needs to be done. It appears that, at some point in history, the magic that I refined and quietly introduced to the magical world was tainted by men with darker intentions. As we were speculating earlier, my horcrux magic was warped to split the soul in an attempt to achieve immortality. The villainous portrayal that I've been given in history could be due to my discovery of horcrux magic and some of my other more mysterious traits."

Harry thought that made a lot of sense. After meeting this representation of Slytherin, it seemed hard to believe that such a man could become so infamous.

"My goals and values, also, have been warped out of proportion," Slytherin continued. "It seems my descendants have taken cunning thought and respect for power to an unhealthy and inaccurate extreme. It makes me feel embarrassed and somewhat ashamed to see what the House of Slytherin and my descendants have become. None more obvious, perhaps, than the Dark Wizard you spoke of. The man named Tom Marvolo Riddle, now known as Lord Voldemort."

Slytherin shook his head, disgusted. "If others warped the nature and magic of horcruxes, this man outdid them all. This is how almost certainly how he gained his so-called immortality and was able to survive that fateful Halloween night."

"How can you be sure?" Hermione asked. "Maybe there is a new way that we don't know about. A way that we'd never seen or heard of, and thus not giving you any clue of it when viewing our memories."

"Ah, but you see, my dear," Ravenclaw explained, "you have encountered these horcruxes before. At least, one of you has," she added, glancing meaningfully at Harry.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Your first visit into the Chamber of Secrets," Slytherin answered. "First off, a mere memory such as the one in the Diary taking control of Themistocles? Impossible! I'm fairly certain now that he was under the influence of powerful magic both times the Chamber was recently opened. A memory would not be able to bring forth or use such magic. Also, Tom Riddle's efforts to suck away Ginny Weasley's life force, and the means and effects of his destruction, point to one thing. That diary was horcrux. A tainted one, not one of mine, I mean. And, since that one was destroyed yet Voldemort still returned, he must have more hidden away."

"You guys couldn't tell what was happening outside this room? Even when the Chamber was opened twice within sixty years?" Ron asked.

Hufflepuff shook her head. "This room was intended to keep us protected. Imagine what someone with bad intentions could do with our magic, power, and knowledge. We needed to be isolated in order to be safe."

"After viewing your memories, we have seen the Death Eaters, the Blood Purists, and Voldemort himself, all doing terrible things in my name or bringing shame to my House." Slytherin continued. "Though perhaps I take the most offense, the other Founders are also quite aggrieved with what has happened. And, because my efforts of dabbling in soul magic are partially to blame for Voldemort's longevity, we have decided to give you our aid."

"What kind of aid?" Ron asked. "No offense, you guys, but you're portraits. You don't move. I'm sure there's plenty of knowledge i]n this room and in your heads, and that's great for these two," Ron gestured at Hermione and Harry, "but we need more than just information to beat these guys. You may have some interesting spells, but these people have been dueling for decades and studying magic for even longer. We're three teens who might have some potential, but at this point in time we don't have a chance. The only reason we've survived this long is because of outside help and a whole lot of luck."

"Well said," chuckled Gryffindor, who turned to look at Ron. "You're my kind of thinker. It takes more than intelligence or trickery to win a battle. However, we can give you more than that. I'll let the others explain that, though." Gryffindor gestured toward Slytherin and Ravenclaw, who nodded.

"As I said before," Slytherin explained, "We are more than just portraits. A lot more. This room contains important spellbooks and lost artifacts that will be of great use. But, I believe we will be able to help more than you might think."

"You'll remember that we talked about bonding to other beings," Ravenclaw added. "While we are currently bound to this portrait, this does not have to be permanent."

Hermione gasped. "You mean…"

"Yes," Ravenclaw answered. "With the proper spells, if you are willing, we would be able to move from this portrait to within your minds."

"We wouldn't be able to interfere or control you," Hufflepuff added, "if you might be worried about that. We'd be bystanders, more or less."

"However," Gryffindor put in, glancing meaningfully at Ron, "our presence wouldn't only be useful for communications or intelligence. You all would become significantly more powerful, able to cast spells more quickly and potently than before. Each of you won't be able to host more than one of us at a time; however, for the Founder that you do host, you main gain an ability or two as well. This hasn't happened before, so we won't know exactly what to expect, but I would imagine in my case some of my natural magical resilience and physical strength would be assumed. Maybe my Animagus ability would be gained as well, or I could at least help you find your own form, if you have one, more easily.."

"But if our minds can only handle one of you," Hermione pointed out, "that will leave one Founder left."

"Yes," Hufflepuff agreed, "If this is agreed upon, I will not be bonding with simply one of you. Instead, I will be partially bonding with all of you. This will tie the three of you together more closely, and it will allow us Founders to communicate even while separated. While having two Founders within a head would be too mentally taxing, my presence should not be a problem."

Harry looked at his two best friends. "I've been up against Voldemort for my whole life. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to put a stop to him. If that means sharing my mind with one of you, by all means let's do that. Personally, if that's all it will take to gain your help, that will be a welcome surprise. As for Ron and Hermione, they've been with me since First Year. Despite my warnings, they've never hesitated to follow me into danger. Even if I were to announce that I was leaving to take on Voldemort himself, I know that they'd be right behind me, despite my own attempts to keep them away from harm." Hermione and Ron nodded, happy that Harry was finally coming to understand that they weren't going to let him face danger alone. "I say we do this mind bonding now so that we can take down Voldemort that much sooner."

The Founders all looked pleased. "Before I begin teaching Hermione the spells to bring this out," Ravenclaw announced, "there is one final thing we must do. That is, assuming there are no arguments over which Founder takes residence within whom. We believe that the best combinations would be Salazar and Harry, Godric and Ron, and myself and Hermione."

The trio nodded, each glad with the Founder they would be sharing heads with. Ravenclaw glanced at Slytherin, wishing him to continue. She then gestured for Hermione to come closer. The two then began conversing quietly, working out the details of how to perform the needed magic.

"The final obstacle in our way," Slytherin explained, "is that one of you does not as of now have the mental space to host a Founder. Harry is already sharing his mind with another."

Harry's eyes widened in fear and confusion. Hermione and Ron looked equally surprised and worried. "What are you talking about?" Harry blustered. "I'm not sharing my head with anyone. Wouldn't I know that already?" But even as he asked, Harry felt a sense of dread within.

"You have noticed the presence for a long time. You simply did not know what it truly was. The pain in your scar. The sensations of emotion that didn't fit with your current feelings. The visions and dreams you had. When you were attacked as an infant," Slytherin elaborated, "whether it was a last effort of revenge or a mere accident, Voldemort's tattered soul latched onto you. He made you an incomplete horcrux. For me to inhabit your mind, we must destroy that fragment of him."

"Will it be difficult?" Harry asked. "Will I lose anything? Is that soul fragment the reason why I can speak Parseltongue?"

Slytherin smiled grimly. "I think that together you and I will be more than a match for him. As for the Parseltongue, since you have spoken and gotten used to the language, I do not think it will leave you. You might have more difficulty with it, especially words you have not yet spoken or read in the language, but I highly doubt your knowledge, however you got it, will completely leave you. Even on the off chance that it would, my presence would allow you to continue speaking it for as long as you and I remained connected."

"When can we remove him?" Harry asked. "Does the removal require anything special?"

Slytherin shook his head. "Once the connection process starts, I think Voldemort will reveal himself. When he does, I will act. I simply wanted to make you aware of this so as not to startle you."

"I think we're ready," Hermione announced soon after. "Or at least as ready as we're ever going to get."

Moving the furniture to the corners of the room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione cleared a large amount of space directly in front of the portrait so that no one would be injured after stumbling or backing up. The thick rug would help prevent anyone who fell from getting badly injured. Hermione cast multiple spells on both the portrait and the surrounding area to make sure everything would be safe and relatively easy.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood about three paces away from the portrait, wands out and extended forward. Just as Ravenclaw had instructed, they uttered in unison the long, foreign words required, careful to avoid stammering or mispronunciation. When they finished, white jets of light erupted from the tips of their wands, making contact with the portrait and bathing it in light.

Harry felt a searing pain in his scar, and he watched in horror as a ghostly apparition of Voldemort himself slowly formed next to his wand. From the portrait, Slytherin's form seemed to float out, taking shape and gaining color. While Voldemort's soul fragment shade was just barely noticeable and a blurry grey, Slytherin's form would almost have seemed real if it wasn't floating and slightly transparent. Harry risked a glance at Ron and Hermione, but they either couldn't see what was going on or they were too focused on the spell and its effects upon them.

"Begone, foul creature!" Slytherin snarled in a low, dark voice containing none of his previous charm, wit, and general likability. Looking at the man before him, who was filled with rage and preparing to fight an enemy, made it suddenly clear to Harry how Slytherin could be portrayed as a villain or Dark Wizard by historians who hadn't personally known him. Slytherin was a powerful friend to have, but he would make an even more powerful, unrelenting, and terrifying enemy.

"This is my territory," rasped the shade in a quiet, malevolent voice. "You do not want to feel my power or my vengeance."

Slytherin smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. "Boy, you know nothing of power. Neither true power nor the fake power you think you own." Slytherin raised his hand, which which was surrounded by a reddish black aura. The soul fragment's shade began to glow as well, but as the aura surrounded it, its body began to disintegrate like dust in the wind.

"Who...what are you?" The shade screamed in a mixture of pain, rage, and fear.

Slytherin's eyes narrowed. "I'm the man whose House and legacy you tarnished with your actions. I'm the man you claimed to be the Heir of but disgraced my name. I'm the man whose magical discoveries you polluted. I'm the man who's now out for revenge. Riddle, I am your worst nightmare."

Slytherin clenched his fist, and the remains of the shade shattered, breaking off into smaller and smaller pieces before disappearing completely. Harry felt like a tremor had struck, but somehow he felt lighter, more awake, and altogether less burdened.

Harry watched as Slytherin glided toward him, still surrounded by the fiery, reddish black aura. He tried to keep his face emotionless, but Slytherin must have noticed Harry's unease. The aura dimmed, and the man seemed to shrink back down to his normal self.

"You need not worry, Harry." Slytherin assured him, his voice now gentle and calming. "Power is not something to be feared. It is a tool, like your wand or like a Muggle gun. If you remember that you are in control, you have nothing to fear."

"It's just…" Harry stammered, "you seemed so frightening. So powerful. You almost seemed like another Dark Wizard."

Slytherin smiled sadly. "Even in my day, people feared those with great power. Some even tried to claim that all those with great power had dabbled in the Dark Arts. Those with power can be dangerous, true, but you cannot hope to defeat Voldemort unless you too possess power. What matters is who you make your power a danger to."

When he saw Harry still looked a bit uncertain, Slytherin changed his approach. "Would you consider Dumbledore a Dark Wizard?"

Harry instantly frowned and shook his head.

"But he is a man of great power, even more than you may know. A Master in the arts of Dueling, Legilimency, Transfiguration, and tactics. He has shaped your life in many ways, some of which may have been for his own gains, his own Greater Good."

"I know," Harry mumbled. "I know he's not perfect, but...I don't know how to put...he's Dumbledore!"

"So," Slytherin continued, "even though he is very powerful, you trust him to use his power wisely, for the most part. He has great power, and he uses it to fight evil. Sometimes there are blurred lines, for things aren't always black and white, but that is one of the consequences of war. All we can hope to do is the best with what we have."

"Is this like what the uncle of the guy in the Spider-Man movie always says? Is that what you're trying to say?" Harry grinned. "I know you know what I'm talking about, since I remember glimpsing that movie while you looked through my memories."

Slytherin sighed. "I thought I'd gotten away with that. We didn't have entertainment like that back when I was alive. I was trying to avoid saying that, but yes, that is what I'm getting at. It's not the power that defines you, but what you choose to do with it. Now, as much as I'd love to continue this deep conversation, I think your body is going to be out for a while due to all this mental battling. We're one step closer to getting you your own private hospital bed!"

With a mental sigh, Harry felt consciousness ebbing away and prepared to get yelled at by Ron and Hermione when he woke up.

* * *

 **/:Note/ Well, another chapter is done! There's a bit more action in it this time, and hopefully the conversation was interesting enough. Thanks to all my viewers, reviewers, etc. for your support. That's always nice and appreciated. If anybody's got great ideas for powers/abilities (that would be usable/make sense, not just cool-sounding), let me know! Have a great day, and hopefully I'll see you all soon!**


	4. Sweet Dreams

**/:Point of Clarification:/**

 _Harry's thoughts_

" _Slytherin's thoughts"_

 **There you go. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Harry blinked, slowly adjusting his eyes to the brightness. The room looked a bit fuzzy, but as he came to he realized he was lying in one of the Hospital Wing beds. Hermione and Ron were seated next to him.

"Wha…" Harry stammered, still feeling a little groggy.

"Shhh!" Hermione interrupted.

"Hermione, I-"

"Shhh!" This time, Ron shushed him.

"Guys, why-"

"Shhh!" Both of them acted together this time.

Harry sighed heavily, closing his eyes. He hated waking up in a hospital bed. He never knew what was going on or what had happened, and people always seemed less than willing to oblige when he tried to get such information. Slowly opening his eyes again, Harry gave them a look that screamed 'Fine! I'm done talking. You win.' Sadly, Harry had to use that look a lot.

Ron leaned in close to Harry's ear. "We told Pomfrey that your scar was making you scream in the night. It's a little past one in the morning, so let's just say she wasn't in a good mood. Also, she seems suspicious, so don't say anything that would make her think anything is out of the ordinary. Or rather, weirder than usual for you. We didn't want you muttering anything about our new quarters or our new friends."

Harry shut his eyes and groaned. _Great. Because all I wanted in life was more out of the ordinary occurrences. I guess all that wasn't just some wacky potion-induced dream._

" _It most certainly was not!"_

Startled by what seemed like a voice in his head, Harry instinctively flinched, which caused his nerve endings to flare up with pain.

 _What the...who are...oh. Is that you, Slytherin?_

" _Well, who else? Certainly not your conscience, I can assure you of that! By the way, I wouldn't move if I were you. The severed connection with our mutual friend, Tom 'I'll just take other people's ideas and turn them into crimes against nature' Riddle has left your body in a state of magical shock."_

Harry inwardly groaned, though made sure not to outwardly move and risk his body flaring up in pain again. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Voldemort's deteriorated soul was attempting revenge on its former vessel.

 _I haven't heard that title before. A bit bitter, are we Salazar?_

" _Perhaps a tad"_ Slytherin's voice inside of Harry's head seemed to mumble, " _but I believe I've earned that right."_

Before Harry could reply, he felt something being pressed against his lips.

"Drink up, dear," Madam Pomfrey's voice followed, "this should help with the pain." Harry carefully opened his lips and a cold, foul-tasting potion went down his throat, sending a pins-and-needles sensation tingling through his body. Why magic couldn't make potions taste good was a mystery he'd probably never know.

Harry cautiously opened his eyes, blinking due to the light, and saw Madam Pomfrey staring down at him. If one could appear exasperated, worried, sympathetic, and annoyed all at the same time, Pomfrey was definitely making a valiant attempt. Harry opened his mouth to speak but was again shushed before a word could escape his lips.

"Mr. Potter, you are now coming out of what I can only describe as magical shock. Though your magical core seems to be stabilizing now, when your friends brought you to me you were in quite the state. Now, I'm all too aware of how much you've been through in your years here, but I have to say that I don't think I've ever seen you this bad, and while I admit that you may be a special case…"

Before Pomfrey could finish, Professor McGonagall briskly walked in. Though she appeared to have recently gotten out of bed and was still dressed in her nightgown, by no means did she appear less intimidating than any other time Harry had the misfortune to be in the Transfiguration professor's vicinity when she wasn't happy. "The Headmaster is currently attempting to stall the b...our dear Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Merlin, if she had her way you'd probably have some quack or Unspeakable poking around inside your head, and I mean that in the most literal sense. Regardless, I think it would be best if, when she inevitably arrives, Mr. Potter appears as normal as possible," McGonagall finished, turning to look at Madam Pomfrey.

The Mediwitch smiled. "I've got just the thing. It will put him into a deep sleep that will help stabilize him and make him appear absolutely normal to that dim-witted t...Ministry official."

 _Don't I get any say in this?_ Harry thought to himself (and Slytherin) as another potion went down his lips. Slytherin didn't reply, though Harry had a sinking feeling that the Founder was chuckling to himself.

As if McGonagall too had heard his thoughts, she turned to him after shooing Ron and Hermione back to bed: "Mr. Potter, you relinquished any right to protest after you showed up unconscious and in shock. I don't think anyone expected your scar to give you this much trouble, but you may rest assured that we will be discussing this matter in great detail after…"

Harry was pretty sure McGonagall was saying more, but by that time the potion was already taking effect, and he felt himself once again slowly lose consciousness. His last thought as he drifted off was that this was becoming far too frequent.

* * *

Harry smiled as the warm, summer sun shone upon his face. Stretching out in the soft sand, he sighed and just took in the calming sounds of waves against the beach. In a couple of hours he was sure he'd have an amazing tan to match his muscular arms and his stunning 8-pack abs.

"It sure was nice of you to invite me over for your party, Fleur," Harry remarked, turning to look at the blonde French beauty nearby. Clad in a very stylish yet also very small bikini, Fleur smiled at Harry.

"Yes," she replied. "I am glad I invited you also. I hope you didn't mind being the only male at the party, though," she added, gesturing to her equally stunning friends in equally skimpy attire.

"Nah, that's fine. Real fine…" Harry briefly attempted to make eye contact with all the French babes, but his noble attempt was soon thwarted. There were much more interesting things to watch. Like...birds. Yeah, those birds. While not blue-footed, those boobies were very nice.

"However, there is one problem we have to solve first," Fleur mused.

"Hmmmm?" Harry mumbled intelligently. He was, after all, paying close attention to Fleur's words. Harry Potter was nothing if not a gentleman.

"The sun is so very hot," Fleur explained, "and all of us girls have very sensitive skin. Would you be willing to rub sunscreen all over our smooth bodies so that we don't burn?"

Harry grinned. "Well, we can't have that. I guess I can help you out." Soon Harry was surrounded by all the French girls and silently thanking Merlin, the sun, the makers of lotion, and really anyone who might have helped bring about such a glorious event in his usually stressful and dark life.

"But Harry!" a striking red head exclaimed, "won't our swimming attire get in the way!"

"What? I don't know if…"

"We had better take our bikinis off, though, just in case. Can't have you missing any important spots."

As the girls began to reach for the straps to the tiny bits of fabric covering them, giggling all the while, Harry couldn't help but think _This is so amazing. It's like a dream come true!_

" _Well, at least you're partially right, which may be a slight accomplishment given the state of your brain right now."_

Everything around him, including the French girls who were just about to go completely au naturale, froze. Harry's head whipped around, trying to find the source of the amused and eerily familiar voice, but he saw nothing. He could only watch in dismay as his surroundings slowly lost color and faded away to nothing, leaving him standing in what appeared to be an endless expanse of gray and dull white.

" _You know, it really is amazing how on the one hand, so much has changed in the past thousand years, and on the other, everything is completely the same."_

This time, when Harry turned, he found himself staring into the eyes of Salazar Slytherin. Without his previous distractions, Harry easily recognized the voice and now the appearance of his mind's new guest.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Harry shouted at Slytherin. "Were you just observing that the entire time? And you just decided to interrupt right when….when…"

"Yes, that's how dreams tend to go, even without interruptions such as mine." Slytherin replied smoothly. "No doubt, had I not appeared, Voldemort would have shown up, or perhaps a Quidditch team, or Batman, or some other random event to stop you from getting what you were actually hoping for."

"Still," Harry muttered glumly, grudgingly accepting the truth of Slytherin's words, "why couldn't this have been one of my weird creepy dreams interrupted instead of...that."

"More than likely the, as you put them, 'weird creepy dreams' were greatly influenced by the presence of Riddle within your mind," Slytherin explained. "When two minds occupy one body, or even when a body and mind are hosting a lesser spirit or mind, the mind that's along for the ride, which in this case was Riddle but is now me, is especially influential when the primary mind is in a less active state, such as during a loss of consciousness. Thus influence or manipulation of dreams may occur, which is what I'm doing right now, and I have no doubt the other founders are or will be doing with your friends."

"You're the reason for all this?" Harry asked, glancing at the black space around him and trying to keep up with Slytherin's explanations. "Why?"

"Quite simple, really," Slytherin continued, "Besides the fact that communication between us is much easier, especially with my having a form, you need to at least start learning and practicing what this new bond between us will accomplish."

"Will that really help, since this is just a dream?" Harry asked.

"This is a bit more than a mere dream," Slytherin replied. "The best analogy I can come up with is the sparring sessions within that movie you snuck out of Dudley's trash and watched one night: The Matrix."

Harry nodded, remembering the movie. It had contained some pretty cool action sequences, and the whole idea of the real world being a computer program was both frightening and interesting. Obviously it had been too mentally stimulating for a dolt like Dudley to enjoy. "So this is like a simulation happening inside my head?"

"More or less."

"Neat. So, besides the gracious gift of your presence, what else do I get out of this?"

Salazar raised an eyebrow. "You know, I'm aware that was sarcasm, but I'm just going to pretend that it wasn't and take that as a compliment."

"You do that. So? What amazing new abilities can I expect to receive?"

"Well, first of all, I would say that your magical abilities should all increase dramatically. Your maximum magical output, stamina, and resistance will easily grow by at least 50 percent, though I'm guessing the growth will be closer to 100 or 150 percent. As you're moving from Riddle's binding of your mind and magic to my catalyzation of its development and growth, it's quite hard to predict what changes will occur. You have to understand that this kind of thing has never actually been done before, and the incomplete horcrux you harbored since you were a baby makes any of my previous calculations almost useless, so most of this is just hypothesis and guesswork."

"Wow." Now it was Harry's turn to raise an eyebrow, both due to his surprise at the boost and Slytherin's admission. "So you mean to tell me that you don't know what's going to happen to me? That's gotta be killing you."

Slytherin's eyes narrowed. "I'm already long dead, thank you very much. And you should be thankful that it's me you're bonded with. I'm the one who practically invented this type of magic in the first place, so I would think that my hypotheses would carry a bit weight. I'm sure your friend Ron will have far less warning on what could be happening with time as a result of his bond."

Harry could vividly imagine Ron and Gryffindor discovering new benefits of the bond purely by accident or luck. Once again, Slytherin made a very fair point.

"Besides," Slytherin continued, "If you don't believe me, why don't you just test your abilities for yourself?"

"In here?" Harry asked skeptically. "But I don't have my wand or anything, I'm wearing a swim…" Harry looked down and was surprised to see himself dressed in stylish, fitted black and red robes that also appeared to have some form of light armor built in on the torso, shoulders, forearms, thighs, and shins. The armor on his forearms had very impressive looking Slytherin crests on the insides, and attached to the bottom of his right forearm was what appeared to be place to store his wand, which it was currently doing.

"Did you create this?" Harry asked, surprised, and turning to Slytherin who was smirking proudly.

"Actually, this is the gear that I wore when I adventured and explored the magical world in my younger days," Slytherin explained. "Parts of it I made or designed myself, while other parts I obtained by commissioning some of the greatest enchanters and rune masters of my time. Many of the arts used to make this garb have been lost to time ages ago, I'm sure."

"But...it's not real, is it? This is just a dream after all," Harry remarked disappointedly.

Slytherin shook his head. "Actually, unless my safehouse has been raided, which I highly, highly doubt, this should still exist and be in the same condition it was in when I used it. I thought it might be useful for you to get used to it now, at least in part, since hopefully we'll recover it at some point. The armor should protect you from almost all harm, physical or magical. Anything but a direct Unforgivable at very close range I would think, though that hasn't been tested. Basilisk venom has been tested, though, and I can claim with firsthand experience that, though it won't be enjoyable and you'll need to repair the armor right away (and leave it alone for a week or so), you won't die from the exposure. The material is flexible, self-healing, and impervious to grime, dirt, mold, or other things that would deteriorate its quality. Though not infallibly invisible, it's also very easy to remain undetected while wearing it."

"Wow." That was about all that a stunned Harry could say. "You...you weren't kidding. This thing is...incredible. How does it work?"

"Well," Slytherin sighed, "I'm not entirely sure, or else I would have had more than one made. Its creation was basically an accident, the result of combining many prototypes and untested theories. But I believe that, through a long and difficult process, this material has become similar to a miniature, weakened black hole of energy, both kinetic and magical. Most spells or objects launched at you will be completely drained upon reaching you, rendering them harmless."

"Awesome," Harry grinned, admiring the clothing. "Can I like, walk through walls or anything? Shoot fireballs? Emit waves of magic that confuse or stun anyone around me?"

"If you'd like to try walking through walls," Slytherin answered, grinning slyly as a brick wall appeared close by, "please be my guest."

Harry almost took a step forward but stopped himself. "Very funny."

"What a shame. Though I guess if you fell for that I wouldn't have deemed you worthy of being my host anyway. Maybe we can try it out after you wake up and talk to your friends."

"You think Ron and Godric would fall for that?"

"If we present it convincingly enough, though if Ron obtains strength like Godric's he might have the last laugh. In his prime, the man had the strength of a bull. Instead of him getting knocked back by hitting the wall, I'd be more worried about the wall itself. Then you'd likely be the one hitting your head against the wall."

"Again, very funny," Harry answered. "It's such a shame that your wonderful humor isn't the trait that was most valued by those of your House."

"It is, isn't it?," quipped Slytherin. "Now, it's about time that we actually did a bit of practicing. Let's take it slow today, though I imagine that the longer we're bonded, the more side effects you'll begin to notice."

"Good side effects?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Hopefully," Slytherin answered, none too confidently.

For what would have been equivalent to a few hours of time in the real world, Slytherin had Harry practice using magic and getting used to his new power. Harry had thought it would be simple, but apparently altering one's magic to the very core and increasing one's power and stamina led to problems with control on even the simplest of spells. The first time Harry tried a simple levitation spell (on a frog Slytherin conjured), the attempt didn't exactly go as planned.

"Wingardium Levi-OH CRAP THAT JUST BLEW UP WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S BALLS DID THAT FROG DO TO DESERVE…." Even Slytherin had cringed.

Needless to say, by the end Harry was very thankful for the practice because things could have turned ugly real fast in one of his next classes that required any sort of magic use. Thankfully, Harry had pretty much gotten the hang of his new power. It actually made things easier once he just got used to the feeling.

"I think that's enough for right now," Slytherin noted once Harry had successfully performed his fifth year spells.

"But aren't you going to teach me new stuff?" Harry answered. "You've got all this knowledge of stuff that's been lost to time, which you've been quite eager to point out, yet you haven't even taught me one new spell yet!"

Slytherin smiled. "Rowena would be proud, I'm sure. However, we don't want to move at too fast a pace. You can only take in so much just by practicing in your head like this. I'm also not entirely sure how well it will work once we leave. While the skills can pass through, I don't believe it will be complete transferral from what you do in here to outside. Better to keep things at a steady pace than to rush ahead before we're sure you're ready."

"Fine." Harry grumbled. "So you're thinking we should head back?"

Slytherin nodded. "We've made some decent progress, and I think it's probably about time you got back to the real world."

"This isn't real?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Well, my _dear_ boy," Slytherin sarcastically, "this _is_ all happening in your head. And while, on a metaphysical level there may be a touch of reality within, this is most certainly not the real that you and I tend to define "real" to be." With that, Slytherin began to fade and Harry's vision began to blur, slowly becoming dark and darker.

* * *

Harry blinked, slowly adjusting his eyes to the brightness. The room looked a bit fuzzy, but as he came to he realized he was lying on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione and Ron were seated next to him. This seemed way too familiar.

"Wha…"

"Shhh!"

Ron tried to keep a straight face, but after a few seconds and under a glare from Harry that would make Themistocles jealous, he finally broke down laughing. "Sorry, but I just couldn't resist!" he managed, smirking all the while.

Harry rolled his eyes. "How long have I been out?"

"Most of the night, according to the monitoring spells Madam Pomfrey placed," Hermione answered. "Everyone's down in the Great Hall for breakfast right now, but Professor McGonagall thought it'd be better if Umbridge doesn't see you for a bit and we thought we'd come check in on you. Good thing we don't have Defense Against the Dark Arts today. Apparently it took Dumbledore nearly an hour to convince her that your scar hurting you was a normal occurrence, though she isn't aware of how bad of shape you were in when we brought you to the Hospital Wing."

Ron nodded. "McGonagall had a house elf bring us some food. There's not a ton left, but if you're feeling hungry-"

"What Ron is trying to say," Hermione interrupted, "Is that he ate nearly all the food before you woke up. Anyway, how are you feeling? Did you have good dreams?" The look Hermione gave let Harry know that she and Ron had apparently had similar meetings with their respective Founders, just like Salazar had guessed, and she wanted to know if he'd had a similar experience without asking in the hospital wing.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

* * *

 **/:Note:/ Well, there you go. It's been a while, but here's another chapter. For those of you who may be wondering, Harry's dream world is very similar to the Animus loading screen in the Assassin's Creed video games (and the look of Harry's new outfit is also loosely based on the attire of the Assassins). Thank you all for reading!**


	5. The Room of Requirement

"I still think we need to consult with someone about all this. Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, even Siri...Snuffles... could probably offer us valuable advice!"

"Why yes, Miss Granger, I certainly believe that you are the reincarnation of Rowena Ravenclaw. Now, why don't we head on over to the Hospital Wing? Or better yet, let's visit a ward at St. Mungo's for a little while. Just a routine check-up of course!"

A blushing Hermione had to admit that Ron could do a fairly accurate McGonagall impression when the situation demanded. Even when it didn't, for that matter. "Ok, fine, that does sounds little weird, but what about the business with the horcruxes? Shouldn't we let someone know what we've discovered? Also, mind your frog, Harry, it appears to be making a break for it."

"Hermione, given the whole business with the diary second year, it's fair to assume that Dumbledore already knows," Harry reminded his friend as he casually pointed his wand at the bullfrog currently hopping toward the other side of the table and its perceived freedom. With a quick "Accio" from Harry, the bullfrog flew back to its initial position in front of Harry, its attempt foiled. While normally the trio wouldn't dare have such a discussion in public, the combination of pouring rain outside, bullfrogs and ravens cawing and croaking while students tried to silence them, and a quick, inconspicuous privacy charm Hermione had learned from Rowena was enough to assure that no one would overhear. "If he'd directly asked me what happened when he visited me in the hospital wing before Pomfrey released me, I might have told him, but since he just wanted to make sure nothing seemed wrong, I let it be. As Ron pointed out, I don't want him thinking I'm a complete nutter."

"Besides," Ron continued, as Harry was now occupied with an uncooperative bullfrog, "at this point there's still a whole lot that we don't know. Better to wait and figure out what needs to be done and who we can trust, using the element of surprise while we can, than to blindly rush in and get ourselves into a bigger mess than we know what to do with."

"Silencio!" Hermione muttered, jabbing her wand out at the bullfrog in front of her and rendering it speechless as Professor Flitwick wandered near their area of the classroom, watching students practicing the charm and correcting any mistakes if necessary. All three students had found that their spells were significantly more powerful, and it had taken a bit of effort to make sure they didn't accidentally overpower anything without meaning to. "Who are you and what have you done with Ron Weasley?"

"Very funny," Ron answered, rolling his eyes. "It's simple tactics, Hermione. If you'll remember from a certain high-stakes chess match we all played, I've always been good at tactics and strategy." As if to prove that he was indeed Ron Weasley, said distracted wizard proceeded to jab his wand so harshly while attempting the Silencing Charm that he accidentally poked his bullfrog in the eye, causing Ron to emit a sigh and Hermione to suppress a giggle. "Anyway, Godric's instincts are even better than mine as he actually spent time as a military commander. And right now, the two of us are in agreement that we need to understand our situation and surroundings a whole lot more before we start bringing more people in on this."  
Hermione sighed. "While I don't like it, I can't deny that that makes a lot of sense. While we certainly can't do everything on our own, we should probably first get an idea of what needs to be done. Wouldn't you say, Harry?" Both Ron and Hermione turned to look at their friend, who hadn't seemed to be participating much in the conversation lately.

Harry had tried to pay attention. He really, really had. But then Salazar started helping him brainstorm ways to take Umbridge and Malfoy down a peg or too and he just couldn't resist.

 _I'm not saying it's impossible. I was there when Barty Crouch Jr did something similar while pretending to be Moody. But just because he could do it doesn't mean I could, even if it's a great idea!_

" _Well, power-wise there shouldn't be much of an issue. We would need to practice the spell for a while to make sure you can control it adequately, but I can guide you through it. Besides that, though, it's quite straightforward. You put the kitten in the classroom long before students would arrive so she'll be alone with it and then she'll very likely take it to her quarters, which will prevent his escape! They'll realize he's missing, but she'll never make the connection and no one else would go in her quarters!"_

"Harry?"

 _But still, forced human transfiguration? Couldn't he fight it while I'm doing the spell?_

" _Stun him. And you're forgetting the best part: after it's all over, we make buttons that say 'Malfoy's a Pussy' on them!"_

"Harry!"

"What?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly. First of all, class just finished, so unless you'd like to sit here for the rest of the day…"

Blinking, Harry realized that she was right. Everyone else was putting books and quills in their bags and leaving the Charms classroom.

"And second, oh wait, hold on, Angelina looks like she's got something to tell us-"

"I've got permission!" the witch exclaimed excitedly to the trio, pushing through groups of students in the hallway to the Gryffindor trio exiting the classroom. Noticing their blank stares, she elaborated. "Permission to re-form the Gryffindor Quidditch team! I didn't think Umbridge would allow it, but I think McGonagall fought tooth and nail for her lions! Anyway, be at the pitch by seven tonight. We're only a few weeks before our first match, after all!"

As Angelina left to likely inform other members of the team, Ron glanced out the window, glumly watching the downpour still occuring outside the warm, dry castle. "Well, hopefully it clears up a bit before then."

"What's on your mind, Hermione?" Harry asked, noticing Hermione appeared somewhat distracted, blankly staring at the window.

"Just thinking about how much has happened in the past day…" she replied, still looking lost in thought.

"Fair enough," Harry agreed. "Yesterday one of the biggest things on our minds was teaching people Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now we've got a lot bigger things…both on and in our minds."

" _Was that an attempt at a fat joke?"_

 _Really, Salazar? What do you think?_

" _I think that you possess far too many characteristics valued in my house for me to discount the possibility, especially after you so nonchalantly dismissed my question without actually answering."_

 _Paranoid old man._

" _Again, you never said I was an incorrect one."_

"Speaking of that," Ron noted, interrupting further banter between Harry and Salazar, "are we still thinking of following through with that whole thing? I know we'll be a lot busier what with all the latest craziness, but we've still got a lot of people who want and need to learn defense from someone who will actually teach them."

"Well," Hermione answered, "I think you're right about its importance. Regardless of all the new information we've been handed recently, we're still stuck with an utterly horrendous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who isn't preparing us for O.W.L.'s at all."

"And this way, if we ever need help, we're ensuring that we'll have plenty of friends well-equipped to defend themselves, each other, and to support us." Harry agreed. "That said, I'm not sure if the Chamber is really a good spot anymore. It would take a good amount of work to get supplies and students in there, and the...um...the mess inside would take us a quite a while to clean up, even if we get outside help. That would all delay when we could start meeting."

"Hold on!" Hermione interrupted excitedly, almost jumping in the air much to the amusement of Harry and Ron. "Rowena just told me about another place that might work. It's on the seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. The Room of Requirement! Apparently it molds itself into whatever type of room the user needs, including materials and furniture!"

" _One of our finest works. The Room of Requirement would indeed be an ideal place to hold your defense meetings, leaving the Chamber free for our exclusive use with more sensitive information, storage, and meetings as an added bonus,"_ Salazar confirmed.

Harry and Ron both voiced their approval. Now they wouldn't have to do any cleaning either! At least not for a little while.

"Well, it's settled then!" Hermione decided as they neared the Gryffindor Common Room. "You two have your Quidditch practice tonight, and I wouldn't mind doing a bit of study with Rowena's help in preparation, so let's spread the word that the first meeting will be held there tomorrow at eight o'clock!"

As they went up the stairs to their dormitory, Harry heard Ron mutter through clenched teeth, "Again, Godric, for the love of Merlin, no, I don't want to hear about all the witches you showed that room to!"

* * *

Unfortunately, the weather had not significantly improved by seven o'clock that evening. Ron, in fact, was certain it had gotten even worse. Had Godric and Slytherin not provided instructions for a warming charm and a particularly useful water-repelling charm that could both be applied to their robes, the two friends would surely have been equally soaked and miserable by the time they reached the Quidditch Pitch. Even so, trudging through stretches of mud and long, wet grass amidst relentless rain and dark, grey skies was enough to dispel any excitement or optimism about running flying drills in weather like this. The constant rain and occasional clap of thunder made any conversation nearly impossible, so instead the two friends trudged silently toward the pitch.

Walking into the changing rooms was thus a great relief to all, despite the fact that such shelter from the elements was only temporary. As Harry slipped on his arm guards and gloves, he couldn't help but smirk as he heard Fred and George considering their own Skiving Snackboxes as a means to evade what would surely be a miserable and completely unproductive practice.

" _Those two would be an obvious choice to bring in and help our cause."_

 _Didn't we just agree a few hours ago that we were going to keep all this to ourselves for now?_

" _Of course, and we are. But that's not the permanent stance, just the temporary one until you're more comfortable with what's going on. It's your allies that make or break your position in a war. My fellow Founders and I can train you three to be incredibly powerful and skilled, even when compared to adult wizards and witches. That's all for naught, though, if it's you three against an army of Death Eaters."_

… _.You really think it will come to war?_ Harry grimly fastened his knee and shin guards. Of course, he'd been wondering where things would lead ever since the graveyard in fourth year. Somehow he'd always convinced himself that war couldn't be inevitable. It wouldn't come to that. Unfortunately, it seemed his fears hadn't been ill-founded.

" _Had Riddle not yet returned and we had more years and resources, it's not unreasonable to think we could have altered the political climate and his potential resources to the extent that he'd be left with a very limited power base. Instead, we have a society that has remained almost unchanged since his apparent defeat that Halloween night. Old followers are rushing to his side in either fear or disillusioned loyalty, and I'm sure he began gathering resources shortly after his return last year. In short, he's gotten big enough to make significant trouble."_

Harry nodded, pulling his boots on and donning his Quidditch robes. He'd always known. Somewhere deep inside he'd always known that it would come to this. The only difference was that now he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Gather round, people!" Angelina's voice echoed from near the Captain's office, shaking Harry out of his own (and Salazar's) thoughts. Pushing himself up off the bench he'd been sitting on, Harry walked out of his changing room to stand with the rest of the team.

Angelina was standing poised and proud on the bench outside the Captain's office, broom in one hand and a determined expression on her face. No one actually used that bench for sitting, at least not in recent memory. For as long as any student could remember, the bench outside the Captain's office was a revered monument, reserved for riveting speeches from slightly-insane captains to their dejected, lazy teams in need of a wake-up call. It wasn't simply to ensure that the captains could be seen, though in Angelina's case it was certainly helpful to stand above the three Weasleys who normally towered above her. A modified Sonorous charm infused into the bench, likely implemented by a long-gone Captain tired of a sore throat after every practice and before game, ensured that Angelina's words would be forcibly heard by all, whether they wanted to or not. While pranking the revered artifact against the Captain was unthinkable even to the likes of Fred and George, it was said that they had added to the already extensive list of wards and jinxes that supposedly punished any non-Captain attempting to use the bench. While no one was really sure they believed that (Fred and George could easily have spread those rumors themselves), testing those claims was a task no one wished to undergo.

Ron quickly noticed that Harry seemed more grim than when they had arrived, but a look from Harry told him that now was not the time or place.

"Listen up, people, I know we're not really facing ideal weather conditions," Angelina began, choosing to ignore the groans, eye rolls, and muttered comments, "but that doesn't mean now is the time to slack off. Due to some interference from certain...people...we've been set back a bit, and Slytherin's got a head start on us since they got permission to re-form earlier than us. So now's not the time to be lazy. Unless you've all been keeping in shape and working out while we got the team re-formed, which I highly, _highly_ doubt, we've got three weeks to get back into our rhythm before our first and most important game of the season! So let's get out there and learn how to deal with this weather now, because there's a very good chance it'll be like this for a while, maybe even on game day." Turning to look at Harry, Angelina looked as if she'd had a sudden inspiration. "Harry, didn't you do something to your glasses to stop them from fogging when we played in that storm last year? For that matter, you and Ron showed up barely wet or shivering while the rest of us looked like we'd been taking a swim in the Arctic. Anything you've got could really help us out!"

As Harry and Ron taught the rest of the team the charms Godric and Salazar had just recently given them, Ron couldn't help but enjoy being on the opposite side of things for once. Usually he was the one out of the loop and being taught an incredibly useful charm. Being the one in the know and doing the teaching felt good.

Soon the unfortunate Gryffindors were zooming back and forth on the Quidditch pitch. While the charms helped prevent them from becoming instantly chilled and soaked, it was dark and rainy enough that no one could really see what was going on with everyone else, and Harry swore he could still feel the cold and the rain seeping into him. Salazar's comments on Quidditch were also less than helpful.

" _What fool decided that making a broom fly should be the best means of transportation? Sure, it's inconspicuous when not in use, but how can you stand to sit on that wooden pole while flying through the air? How can you stand after sitting on that wooden pole while flying through the air? Cushioning Charms and padding only help so much!"_

" _Unless some famous or important figure was named Quaffle, and my sincerest condolences to that poor soul if that's the case, this game was invented by complete nutters!"_

" _So are you_ trying _to get hit by those death-balls you call Bludgers, or is the goal to simply see how close you can get without having your brains bashed out?"_

" _I understand that your purebloods of today revere this so-called sport as a time-honored tradition and supplement to culture, but to me it's just another stupid fad created by disillusioned youths that are trying to drive their elders insane!"_

When Angelina finally admitted defeat and called it quits an hour later, Harry was pretty sure that the voice in his head actually _was_ driving him crazy. Drying himself off in the changing room and putting on clothes that weren't splattered with mud was a relief, and listening to Fred and George complaining about ruptured boils was just the sort of ridiculousness needed to bring his mind away from the completely different ridiculousness of his everyday life. Making sure that the charms to help keep his robes warm and dry were still in effect, Harry left the changing room and joined Ron to make the long, wet, muddy trek back to the castle.

"Godric just loved Quidditch!" Ron whispered joyfully once he and Harry made it inside, free of the overwhelming downpour of rain to impede conversation. Luckily, the castle seemed empty as most students were smart enough to be in their Common Rooms curled up in blankets by the fire.

"Figures," Harry muttered as Salazar's voice assured him that it wasn't his fault that the game didn't make one bloody ounce of sense.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Harry sighed, resigned to having many more conversations with Salazar on the subject. "Just a bit caught up in everything lately. Salazar basically told me he thinks we're destined for war."

"Oh...yeah," Ron's expression darkened. "Godric and I were talking about that too earlier today. Kind of scary when you think about it. Hell, really scary if you ask me. But it's felt like we've been going down that route for a while now. I felt it even before we met with the Founders."

Harry nodded, nothing more to say.

Noticing this, Ron added, "Harry, we've been facing this since first year. He's not going to let you go for all the times you've stopped him, and me and Hermione aren't going to let you go just because some bloody psychopath's got it on for you. We're taking this on together. Now that we've got the Founders on our side, and once we start teaching Defense and bringing more people to our side, we're not going down easy. You're not in this alone, Harry. Never."

Looking at the conviction in his friend's eyes, seeing that he meant every word, Harry couldn't hold back a smile. "Thanks, Ron. It's just...sometimes I still feel like that scared little kid in the cupboard, you know?"

"Oi, Potter, Weasley! Looking for Granger? I heard she was-"

"Shut it, Malfoy, I'm not in the mood."

Draco opened his mouth to finish what would have been an equally clever and provoking quip against the muggleborn witch, but something stopped him. He'd seen the two entering the castle and thought he'd have some easy fun, but something about Potter seemed different tonight. This wasn't the usual Potter trying to throw insults or sloppy threats back at him. Something had darkened Harry Potter's mood beyond simple taunting, and while Draco didn't see any reason to fear an angry Harry Potter (especially with Crabbe and Goyle at his side while Potter only had the Weasel), there also wasn't much point in needling him when it could bring up a lot more serious conflict than Potter's usual, relatively harmless and altogether entertaining responses.

"Well, perhaps you'll be in a more receptive mood after we've demolished you on the Quidditch Pitch. Better run off and get some more practice in, even though it won't be enough." With a parting, scornful smirk from Malfoy, the three Slytherins were gone.

"C'mon, Harry, let's go on back to the Common Room." Ron took Harry's shoulders and gently pulled him in the general direction of the Fat Lady's portrait. Letting himself be pulled away by Ron, Harry couldn't help but agree with Salazar that it was high time Slytherin House realized how low it had sunk. Even if it didn't have a major effect on the behavior of the house as a whole, certain blonde pureblood princes were in dire need of some humbling.

* * *

"Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Umbridge are all far out of the way," Harry announced, Marauder's Map in hand, as he, Hermione, and Ron approached the seventh floor at around half past seven the following night. "No one else is nearby either. Coast is clear."

Letting the Founders guide them to the exact spot, the Gryffindor trio came to a blank stretch of wall that looked as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Together, they walked past the empty wall three times, each thinking about their need for a room that would be perfect for teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Turning in sync in such a way that any outside observer would probably have found amusing, Harry, Hermione, and Ron opened their eyes and moved to look at the empty wall. However, where there had once been a bare stretch was now a large, impressive-looking set of wooden doors. A push from Ron saw the doors silently glide open with a smoothness that Harry was certain could only be achieved through magic. Peering inside, the three were met with a space that certainly exceeded all expectations.

The room was massive, easily bigger than either the Charms classroom or the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, possibly as big as the two combined. Most of the space was nothing but smooth wood paneling, and Hermione couldn't help but compare it to a dance studio she had gone to occasionally when she had been younger and going through a ballet phase. The flickering torches on the walls created dancing shadows on the floor that made it seem much more mysterious, as if they were looking upon some secret sanctuary rather than a simple empty room. The entire right-hand side of the room was lined with bookshelves, which Harry was sure would be extremely useful for teaching unorthodox spells and jinxes as well as counters to more obscure Dark curses. Hermione was certainly excited upon seeing the books.

"What was that sound? Did you hear that, Ron?" Harry asked, glancing at a blushing Hermione who was now covering her mouth with her hands. "I heard a funny squeaky sound!"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, Ron," Harry sighed. "You'll get it this Christmas. I'll make sure of it."

"Oh." In truth, Ron was distracted too, though not by the books. Next to the bookshelves were a large number of body-sized silk cushions, and besides the amazing naps Ron imagined one could take on one of those great big bags of happiness, they would also be very useful when practicing Stunning Charms and really any other time students expected to be knocked off their feet. Godric had suggested that a bit of physical combat, while now frowned upon by pureblood society, had been extremely helpful for him in battle. If opponents weren't expecting that a wizard or witch could still do damage without a wand, it could mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

If one side of the room appeared to be geared toward study, the other side was definitely equipped for practice. Various life-sized dummies that Harry was sure could be charmed to move around and possibly even shoot spells were lined up in the corner, and there were a lot of different objects neatly arranged that would be useful to practice accuracy on.

Harry and Ron were very eager to start fussing with the practice dummies and Hermione had just plopped onto one of the cushions with the first book she could get her hands on when they heard a loud creak. Startled, they all turned to see Neville, Ginny, Parvati, Dean, and Lavender in the now-open doorway, who were now looking around the room with a mixture of surprise and awe. Realizing that it was now eight o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved toward the door and began greeting the new arrivals. Evidently the door wasn't silent when more people were entering, Harry noted, or perhaps, as part of the security against unwanted intrusion, it could only be heard from the inside. After all, that would prevent bystanders near the hallway from realizing what was going on while also giving everyone inside a heads-up when newcomers arrived.

"Great Merlin! This room is amazing. I never knew a room like this existed in Hogwarts!" Dean exclaimed, taking in the room's magnificence.

"It's called the Room of Requirement," Harry announced. "It's been specifically created by Hogwarts itself to meet our needs of teaching defense." Salazar had suggested the phrasing because, while exactly true, it gave the implication that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had special authority in Hogwarts (which, in a way, since they were being aided directly by the Founders, they kind of did) while neglecting to mention that anyone could use this room for any purpose, helping prevent its misuse.

"Blimey, Harry, it looks like your plan worked!" Neville exclaimed, knowing that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been painstakingly brainstorming where to hold secret defense lessons for quite some time. After all, he shared a room with Harry and Ron, and the two had been busy or gone so often lately, likely exploring potential locations.

"No, Neville," Harry answered, shaking his head and smiling. Maybe it was the connection fostered by Helga, but as his eyes swept across the room to see his two best friends, he could almost imagine what they were mentally discussing with their fellow Founders. Ron, excitedly welcoming students but also frequently glancing back at the dummies, was no doubt listening to Godric's battle stories and figuring out how to turn students into skilled fighters. Earlier that day Ron had eagerly told Harry about his dream-training with Godric, which had involved a lot of physical combat and even a bit of swordsmanship to incorporate into usual dueling. Hermione, on the other hand, was pointing students to the various bookshelves, all while holding a book in her hand and turning back to it at every reprieve. Harry was almost positive she and Rowena were analyzing every spell and magical theory claim, deciding which were actual breakthroughs since the Founders had lived and which were misconceptions promoted after years of ignorance, either conclusion used to improve how magic could be understood and better utilized.

As more students had started to enter, Salazar had pointed out the fact that many students his age and even some in sixth or seventh year were coming to receive instruction from none other than Harry himself. This group of students, all displaying commitment to truly learn how to defend themselves rather than accept whatever the Ministry fed them, would likely be the ones who would hold positions with the Auros, the Ministry, and other important parts of the magical world. Here they were effectively establishing Harry as their leader. Salazar had called the group "Potter's Army," and Harry knew he was only half-joking.

"No," Harry continued, turning to face Neville with a mixture of excitement and pride on his face as students continued to enter the Room of Requirement, "our plans have just begun."

* * *

 **/:Note:/ Well, um, yeah. It's been a while. I can't really predict when I'll be free to add to this story, but I hope you liked this latest addition. I also, while re-familiarizing myself with the previous chapters, fixed a few typos I had missed before. Thanks for your support!**


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